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The Telegraph

Reese’s shock therapy

Reese Witherspoon says leaving an emotionally abusive relationship was one of the most difficult decisions of her life.

The actress and producer of Big Little Lies, in an interview with her Wrinkle in Time co-star Oprah Winfrey, said the decision changed her as a person and more confident, reported

E! Online. “For me, probably leaving an abusive relationship (was the most difficult decision). I drew a line in the sand, and it got crossed, and my brain just switched. I couldn’t go any further. I was really young, and it was profound,” Reese told Oprah last weekend. “I could never be the person I am today. It changed who I was on a cellular level, the fact that I stood up for myself. None of those leaving those situations... it’s wrought with self-doubt, particularly if someone damages your self-esteem.”

Her experience with domestic abuse motivated her to develop Big Little Lies. “People who knew me then tell me ‘You’re a completely different person’. I didn’t have self-esteem. I’m a different person now and it’s part of why I can stand up and say, ‘yes, I’m ambitious’ — because someone tried to take that from me before,” she said.